Chapter 65

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Chapter 65: General

Military airships had high defense, but apart from the cockpit, there were no windows elsewhere. The Empire’s youngest general stood behind the airship pilot, his face grimly watching the ever-changing clouds outside.

General Shirel was only thirty-five years old, with brown hair and blue eyes, looking dignified. He was the epitome of the "typical human male appearance" that the early Aryans admired. In the previous era, blonde hair was considered the look of someone kissed by the god of light, but in the prime of the Aryan Empire, that hair color seemed out of place. Murals were altered, and human heroes in posters were all drawn with brown hair, which was the most common hair color among Aryans. People truly believed that the finest human bloodline would grow into this standard appearance.

Shirel was proud of this and also deeply nostalgic for that era.

Times have changed. The days when people suspected those with blonde, black, or red hair were from a different world are over. Even the united military now has opportunists and weaklings. The upper levels of the Empire dare to meddle with the military, forgetting that Aryan Military Academy trained them! If this had happened a hundred years ago, the news of Hybrid presence would have raised alarms, and the military would have been on high alert. But now, facing a dungeon enemy, things are different.

General Shirel would still be furious if he were reminded now. Tasmanian’s Governor was his man. But when the foreign detection device, hundreds of miles away, pointed directly at Tasmarin, it was like a slap in Shirel’s face. How many years had passed? Since the Abyss Factor detector reacted, Shirel had been searching for traces of the dungeon every day, not expect the fire at his own backyard. And what’s more irksome: he wasn’t the first to discover it.

Some years ago, Colonel Robert, who had quietly left the center of power, submitted an application to apologize for his oversight. He shifted all blame onto the Governor and his deputy. The detailed report he submitted (stating that it was the dungeon, not the Druid, that activated the detector) was enough to absolve his minor fault of negligence, provoking Shirel. Who could believe Robert was truly clueless? That cursed fool had been pretending ignorance for many years and only reported the truth when he couldn’t hide it anymore.

General Shirel accused the other party of treason for not reporting what they knew, but General Norman strongly supported Robert, claiming his actions balanced out to be more good than harm. "If Colonel Robert hadn’t noticed in time, who knows how long Tasmanian would have suffered in the shadows of the abyss." The old General sneered at Shirel, "After nearly five years of searching, you still couldn’t find the dungeon."

Even if Robert foolishly continued to hide, this significant event was enough for Shirel to locate the dungeon, just a bit later—didn’t his quick reaction indicate Robert had planned this for a long time? General Shirel suspected there might be some secret deal between Robert and Norman, or maybe not. General Norman was one of the fallen soldiers in Shirel’s eyes, and their opposition had not ceased since Shirel rose to the rank of General.

Shirel may have used some family connections to climb to the position of General at such a young age, but he believed he was superior to those old timers who had earned their rank through seniority. He was the top graduate of the Aryan Military Academy, excelling in military theory and knowledge of magical weapons. Always meticulously dressed in full uniform, belt, sash, tie, riding pants, and military boots, he proved his abilities with relentless cruelty towards the Hybrids. Shirel looked down on those in the military who had lost their courage and hesitated.

If Robert had not reported this incident to higher authorities, Shirel, who had full responsibility for the matter, would have immediately attacked Tasmarin to eradicate the remnants of the abyss with thunderous strikes. But the Colonel submitted a report, and after a few days of deliberation at the conference table, although the matter was eventually handed over to Shirel to deal with, it put him in a bind.

The Logistics Department refused to transfer the "Clean Edge" cannons, stating that each part of Aryan needed one to guard against the dungeon, so they couldn’t give all the cannons to Shirel.

"The ‘Clean Edge’ deployed locally in Tasmanian has already been used in battles against the dungeon in the southeast corner, resulting in contamination in Angaso Forest in recent years, but with no significant effect on the dungeon itself," the minister said, flipping through Colonel Robert’s report. "This weapon excels in surface combat but is not effective for underground battles. I don’t believe moving it would help."

"But the Hybrid and traitors headed to the dungeon obviously live above ground." General Shirel frowned.

"It is well known that the power of the dungeon lies in the multitude of troops it possesses. The small number of traitors allied with them are insignificant in comparison," the Minister of Logistics said reluctantly. "Moreover, the disappearance of Tasmanian’s ‘Clean Edge’ door itself likely indicates that the dungeon has a special method to counter the Magic Cannon. It is not wise to waste the ground combat capabilities of national defense weapons to deal with a small group of remnants."

"Ribe Lake has always been a rich land for Aryan, and Tasmanian has seen considerable growth in tax revenue over the past two years, with last year’s fiscal revenue even reaching the second highest in the country," the Minister of Finance said. "Therefore, I do not recommend indiscriminate bombing tactics, as they would cause significant losses to the Empire."

"Is that so?" Shirel sneered. "I see you are reluctant to use the black truffles for feasting."

Since the order to search the dungeon was issued, armies from various parts of Aryan have been mobilized to some extent. General Shirel, who is mainly responsible for this task, has been very diligent. In order to unearth the remnants of the abyss, he has used many powerful weapons from the War of National Defense in recent years. The effects on the Hybrid have been significant, with not insignificant impacts on cities and the environment. Shirel knows that many of his colleagues have criticized him behind his back, only thinking about their industries and the luxury goods that are being affected. Why don’t they think about the harm that the continued existence of these Hybrids will cause?

Hybrids are like bacteria that could infect the bodies of Aryan at any time. Dealing with the most dangerous thing like this, using drastic measures is not excessive – even if it means cutting off a piece of flesh or a limb, it is a very reasonable choice.

As expected, when Shirel made his accusations, many people at the meeting table murmured in opposition. "How can you say that?" General Norman raised his hands. "A mosquito lands on a priceless treasure, does that mean it’s weak to recklessly use a huge hammer to smash the mosquito, even if it’s mindless? Not being weak?"

The others at the meeting table nodded in agreement.

Look at this group of people talking nonsense with their eyes wide open! General Shirel gritted his teeth at this, it’s not weakness or incompetence, it’s corruption and decadence! It’s treason!

The pilot felt nervous as the general left the cockpit, giving him a cold look from behind.

The city-wide bombing plan was rejected, but another request was approved by the leader. General Shirel adjusted his uniform and walked confidently towards the cabin.

Ribe Lake is almost here.

A massive fleet of airships arrived on the outskirts of Ribe Lake. Citizens looked up in surprise at the huge objects almost blocking out the sky. It was like giant whales flying in the sky, casting shadows over the people below.

The airships bore the emblem of the Aryan Empire, signifying their allegiance. However, the sudden visit of a large group of airships caused panic among the uninformed. The military intervened as chaos erupted in the city. Suddenly, soldiers were everywhere in Ribe Lake, descending from the airships.

The army from the capital has arrived.

The news spread quickly throughout Ribe Lake. Expressionless soldiers moved through the streets, their heavy boots echoing loudly. The city was both noisier and quieter than usual – filled with armed soldiers, while the nightlife remained silent with closed doors.

The people of Aryan had mixed feelings towards the military. Some praised them fervently, believing in their ability to protect the empire and feeling proud. Others feared them, remembering when uniformed individuals could enter homes without question and take away anyone suspected of being associated with the Hybrids.

Even in Ribe Lake, which was relatively unaffected, people remembered that such actions were not illegal.

Nowadays in Ribe Lake, hardly anyone dares to say they have no connection with Hybrid.

Unspoken panic spread everywhere, with many discarded baskets on the ground filled with fresh produce bought from the market – most of the vegetables and fruits in Ribe Lake in recent years are related to the southeast corner. Behind closed doors, some people hurriedly cooked ingredients into unrecognizable dinners, devouring them quickly to erase any evidence; while others, more timid, picked out typical specialties like Butter Mushrooms and burned them in the stove.

Parents snatched toys from their children coming from the southeast corner, making the kids who wanted to cry scared by their parents’ stern faces. Small pieces of furniture were smashed into a pile of wood and burnt as fuel, larger pieces had their logos scraped off. Whether cheap or expensive, common or rare, no one dared to sell off anything at this moment, and no one would buy anything either. On this day, countless families rummaged through their belongings, trying to turn anything with a certain logo into irrelevant garbage.

Business owners became busier, vendors claiming to sell authentic southeast corner products disappeared overnight, and bosses tried every means to distance themselves from Hybrid. When the military actually arrived, arresting those involved, nobody cared about minimizing losses anymore; preserving their lives became more important. The middle class couldn’t hope for protection, while the upper class gave up on negotiations upon learning that General Shirel was coming. Everyone knew he was a hardliner on the Hybrid issue, preferring to make mistakes than to let anyone go.

People were in fear for their lives, but those who had deep connections with the dungeon had already received advanced notice.

Since there was no chance of survival under General Shirel, it was better to turn the allegations into reality and totally side with the dungeon. People who had prior knowledge through various channels before he arrived applied for shelter, and the doors of the dungeon were open to them.

Southeast Chamber of Commerce was in chaos, the evacuation was in its final stages. Important supplies had been transferred, members of the Chamber and evacuees ran into the dungeon through tunnels, and once everyone had left, the underground passages would be completely sealed, becoming solid ground.

"Hurry!" Larry urged, "They’re already two streets away!"

"What about you?" Michelle asked in a hurry, "Why are you still dawdling?"

The president of the Southeast Chamber of Commerce, Anthony, had already left. The vice president, Michelle, insisted on staying behind to mobilize supplies and waited until now. She stood at the entrance of the tunnel, holding up her dress, nervously looking towards the door, then eagerly gazing at her boyfriend.

"I’m not leaving," Larry licked his tooth gap, "Your face has been marked in front of those people, as a bodyguard, who cares?"

"Then what’s the point of you staying?!" Michelle exclaimed angrily. Her voice became sharp when she was anxious, not matching her ladylike appearance at all. It was no different from when she used to curse and swear. "Everyone knows that Spike Security Company rose to fame because of the Southeast Corner!"

"On the surface, we are an independent company, not related to the Southeast Corner. Besides, many people who rose to fame with the help of the Southeast Corner are not easily identifiable. There’s no end to catching or killing them. We have things to do…" Larry stepped forward and pushed Michelle’s back, hesitated for a moment, and said, "After I finish this, when I come back, shall we… oh!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Michelle shouted, pulling back the fist she had just punched into Larry’s stomach, "Don’t say anything! Come back to me and then talk! You must come back!"

With tears in her eyes, she fiercely bit Larry’s mouth, leaving a bloody wound, then without looking back, jumped into the tunnel.

The passage to the dungeon closed behind her, and the gnomes quickly worked to restore the area to flat ground. Larry touched the blood on his mouth, grinned foolishly, and jumped over the wall from behind.

This was destined to be a sleepless night.

General Shirel’s declaration marked the beginning of a long dark night. He stood proudly on the high platform and declared, "I announce that Ribe Lake is officially on Level 1 alert!"

The army marched through the streets of Ribe Lake, with the sound of boots, banging doors, and cries echoing all night long. The acting governor and his men were dug out, looking pale with fear, and abandoned to harsh interrogation before being hanged in the central square. Soldiers then raided their homes in the southeast corner, seizing their goods without giving them a chance to destroy anything. The general looked disdainfully at a toy rolling at his feet and declared, "Traitors and treason, using this to educate the next generation, is truly a disgrace to humanity."

During the highest alert period, military matters took top priority, and the general’s orders were considered law.

The puppet government in league with the Hybrid was all executed, as a large amount of evidence of betrayal was found in their homes. Their families and servants also faced punishment. However, the general was a civilized and educated person, and the Aryan Empire was not a feudal state of past nobles fighting each other. Even though their assets were confiscated (to increase the military budget for the upcoming war, these guilty people should consider themselves fortunate), children under fourteen would be sent to orphanages for care, where they would learn of their parents’ shame.

Spirit runes covered every corner of Ribe Lake that night, making it seem like the town was encased in a glass dome in the eyes of ghosts.

Yet, messages continued to flow back and forth.

Spike, the former crime boss of Lame Leg Street, now led a security company, staying neutral and employing bodyguards and mercenaries. The small-time players of the gray area still lived in Lame Leg Street, where intelligence traders and spies were more agile than rats. Druid’s spirit raven perched quietly on a street light pole, its dark brown eyes reflecting running soldiers.

And so, both sides knew that war would break out the following morning.

The largest airship opened its cabin door, occupying a third of its body’s size. Instead of mechanical birds, lightweight airships smaller than whale-shaped transport airships flew out.

These lightweight airships were not soft white in appearance, their gas bags wrapped in a rough metal casing, looking fierce and strange. They had no camouflage in the sky, standing out clearly, but were much faster than the big airships, flying together in groups like giant beetles.

They flew towards the southeast corner, where the residents had already hidden in underground shelters (it’s quite convenient to dig shelters when you have gnomes). Tasha didn’t plan on waiting for the airships to arrive before battling them. The Dragon Knight led the dragon riders to confront them, determined to take care of these light airships outside the headquarters.

As creatures of the dungeon, dragons and ghosts are limited by distance. When the massive fleet of airships flew towards Ribe Lake and stopped at the outskirts, the dungeon’s aerial forces couldn’t reach them. But at this distance, they were more than ready to engage in battle. The wilderness ten miles outside Ribe Lake was the chosen battlefield where the fighting erupted.

Douglas’s huge dragon plunged into the fleet of airships like an arrow, effortlessly piercing through their formation. The light airships were almost the same size as the dragon but seemed lighter in weight. Those hit by the dragon were thrown to the side, like balloons pushed by dolphins. However, those hit didn’t seem to sustain serious damage; the metal layer appeared to offer good protection.

But now the dragon was amidst the airships.

The dragon riders’ flying dragons were at a certain distance, a perfect moment to avoid friendly fire. The Red Dragon took a deep breath, sparks flying from its nose, followed by a burst of scorching dragon breath.

The light airships dispersed quickly. Despite being incredibly agile and fast for airships, they couldn’t escape the area attack. Flames covered the sky, explosions of fire blooming within. When the smoke cleared, about ten airships were nowhere to be seen.

"Beautiful!" Douglas chuckled, but soon his face turned serious with a puzzled "Huh."

Although about ten airships had disappeared, only half were seen plummeting down, emitting black smoke.

When the Dragon Knight looked up, he saw an empty sky.

The dragon riders were flying around, looking confused as they searched for their enemies. The light flying ships were invisible to them, not through radar tricks or camouflage, but completely disappeared from their sight.

Douglas quickly understood and pointed in the direction they were coming from, commanding, "Formation three, charge!"

The puzzled dragon riders quickly followed the command, lining up closely in a formation and charging forward. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, one of the dragons froze in place.

"I hit something!" shouted the dragon rider in joy.

The air shimmered, like pushing through invisible glass under water. The other dragon riders, excited, rushed towards that direction.

Suddenly, everything changed right at that moment.

Despite the clear sky for miles around, lightning crackled in the sky. Tasha, through Douglas’ eyes, saw a dancing arc of electricity.

Threads of lightning spread across the sky, creating a dazzling web of light. The pale lightning was hard to see in the clear sky, but the noise, screams, and the smell of burning were nauseating. The light flying ships appeared, with silver snakes dancing between each dot, their movements wild and deadly.

Even Dragon Knight Douglas, with his strong dragon powers, groaned as he was shocked. His body momentarily paralyzed, almost slipping off the dragon’s back. The dragon riders fared worse, their flying dragons falling from the sky. They all crashed down, resembling moths hitting an electric web when seen from below.

The plants on the ground grew with the help of the Druid’s magic. The chosen battlefield was well protected, but many cavalry had already lost their breath before falling.

In just a few seconds, only a giant dragon remained in the sky. Before the second dragon breath could be unleashed, the powered-down light airships showed no intention of fighting and seamlessly blended into the air in the next moment.

How can a dragon block off a whole sky?

Light airships were more challenging to deal with than giant airships. They may not have the capacity of the giant whale airships, but they surpassed them in numbers, speed, and the ability to turn invisible. Tasha doubted they could remain invisible forever (otherwise, they could have approached unnoticed), but in such a vast sky, even if she knew their general direction, it was difficult to pinpoint their exact location. When they unexpectedly reappeared, she would struggle to stop them from using their weapons on the southeast corner in time, no matter what they were carrying.

Now is the best and probably the last opportunity.

"Douglas, come back," Tasha said.

Many Druids stood on the chosen battlefield, including Arborists.

Arborists provided plant protection. Beast Speakers and Shape-shifters were of no help here. However, besides these three, when the energy of the Heart of Nature passed through the body and soul of every Druid, a fourth branch emerged naturally.

The sound of oak staff hitting the ground was heard. The Druids’ magic wands were adorned not with acorn bells but mistletoe. These spherical plants growing on oak branches were compatible with the Druids’ power just like oak trees. Unlike acorns, the communication through these magic wands was not with plants or animals but with another part of nature.

In the clear sky, clouds are gathering.

The chanting of the Druid flowed into the wind, unseen wind spirits carrying their prayers into the clouds. Moisture gathered from all directions, faster than flying birds, faster than dragons, and of course faster than airships. The huge clouds, bigger than giant whale airships, darkened the sky at a visible speed, turning morning into dusk, almost plunging into night. A thunderclap exploded in the clouds like a starting horn, followed by a sudden downpour, rumbling through the heavens and earth.

"Druid-Weather Manipulator: The energy from the Heart of Nature washed over the followers of nature belief, providing the fourth option for Druids who originally only had three branches – or rather, teaching ordinary Druids a weakened version of the legendary Great Druid’s abilities. Druids who advance to this branch are closer to nature itself, able to control the weather."

Literally calling forth wind and rain.

Many redundant rain-summoning skills have been merged into the new character card itself. The favored children of the Heart of Nature will no longer provide skill bonuses to Tasha, as their own power is sufficient to compensate for this. If one is unfamiliar with the term "Weather Manipulator," the advanced name of this profession explains it well. The Weather Manipulator who advances to Great Druid is called the "Natural Disaster Druid."

The fleet of lightweight airships, capable of invisibility, electric shocks, and agile maneuvering, is not without its flaws, such as being very light.

In the dense layers of raging raindrops, the lightweight airships swayed into visibility – at first only discernible by the section empty of rain, soon completely losing their invisibility. The fierce winds and rain caused the airships to violently spin and rock in the air, like plastic bags thrown into the sky by a typhoon. The torrential rain tore at their shells, natural lightning crackled in the sky, and then all the airships sparked with electricity, resonating with the surroundings.

This was not the spontaneous discharge seen before; these chaotic and intermittent arcs were rather enduring, entwining around the ships, licking the hulls and interiors like faulty wire coils. Finally, a growing white arc on one airship emitted a burst of fire from within, igniting like a bright sun in the storm.

Boom!

In the sky, under the rain clouds, a mushroom cloud bloomed.